[Shadowdancer] "Time's Arrow"

Time's Arrow
Shane Taggart
and
Isabella Valentine

 

 

The streets were all a bustle with people moving to and fro, some were kinder 
than others, but it seemed as if the angry ones were meant for Shane.  He 
bumped into several grumpy people who threw more than just livid looks at him.  
Shane forced himself to look on the bright side, he was now the proud owner of 
a hydrospanner.  He had a gash on his head, but he still had the tool he'd been 
looking for.  

 

Marketplaces are dangerous in and of themselves, and Shane was more than aware 
of this when it opened up into a large courtyard-like area.  His senses went on 
alert as he stuck to the walls.  He was far away from where they had been, and 
appeared human, what did he have to worry about?  Call him a worrier, but he 
wasn't going to die if he could help it.  

 

Then he saw her.

 

She was walking through the crowd alone, her eyes darting from cart to cart and 
from face to face.  "She's just a kid," Shane said aloud and brandished a vile 
look at someone who was returning him the same.  Bella Valentine.  Time to make 
her acquaintance... again.  He took two steps, looking at his hydrospanner, and 
slammed into her.  "Oh, I'm sorry!"  

 

Knocked off balance by the stranger, she grabbed him to steady herself then 
abruptly let go.  "It's s'okay," she mumbled, even smiling slightly as she 
started to move on.  

 

"Bella."  Shane said, tilting his head, "Are you Bella Valentine?"  

 

Her eyes narrowed instinctively and she took a step back.  I thought 'Fleet 
charges were cleared...  "Yeah..."  

 

He realized his words were going amiss, "No, no, no.  I'm Shane Taggart.  Trey 
Onadan is a friend of mine.  I believe that he was working with you up on the 
bridge.  You know, on the 'Dancer?  He pointed you out to me on the ship's 
database and that's how I recognized you."  Believe me, believe me, he kept 
repeating in his head.  

 

"Oh, okay."  She visibly relaxed.  "So, you're the Shane he kept talking about, 
I guess.  Nice to meet you.  You needed me to assign you quarters, didn't you?" 
 

 

Shane smiled, moving up a little closer to her, "Well, the shuttle is nice, 
don't get me wrong... but a real bed would do wonders if you could manage it."  
He started walking in the direction she was going, palming the hydrospanner in 
his left and gesturing with his right.  "Sorry I didn't introduce myself 
sooner."  

 

"Yeah, me too."  Isabella stopped suddenly, studying him.  "You're not as much 
of a jerk as Trey said you were."  She said it in all seriousness at first, but 
then a smirk crept up to the corner of her mouth and she had to fight to keep 
from giggling.  

 

"Well, Trey's head also comes to a point."  Shane laughed and moved towards a 
cart that had some beautifully smelling food gracing it.  "Are you hungry?"  

 

"I ate with Oridian, but a girl never turns down sweets," she smiled.  "Is Trey 
always that stumble over everything he says kinda weird?"  

 

How to answer that?  "Yes, yes he is.  We just came from some really, really 
bad stuff and so I don't blame him for being skittish.  It was a trying time 
for us, still is, but we're managing.  Give him some time and he's actually 
pretty cool and mature for someone his age."  He picked up something that 
looked like chocolate and tossed some credits to the man behind the cart and 
motioned for Bella to make a choice.  "You should just chalk it up to your 
impeccable charm."  

 

She rolled her eyes.  "Obviously you've not talked to many people 'bout me."  
Gesturing to the cart, she chose her treats and waited while the vendor handed 
them to her.  "Thanks."  They moved away from the cart and she asked, "So... 
what kind of bad stuff?"  

 

"It's a really long story."  Seven years long.  "Suffice it to say that we were 
on a ship and realized it was no longer safe for us to stick around.  We 
bolted, got in a firefight with the people we were trying to avoid, eluded them 
in a nebula, came out the other side and saw the 'Dancer.  Requested asylum and 
your Captain granted it to us.  Generous man, he is.  That'll bite him in the 
ass one of these days."  

 

"You're tellin' me," she said around a bite.  Bella closed her eyes as she 
chewed, savouring the flavour.  "Ohmygod, good," she nearly moaned and then 
giggled at herself.  "Nate's my big brother.  Sorta."  

 

"Sort of?"  

 

"Not by blood or nothin'.  We just kinda adopted each other.  Or him and Dan 
adopted me.  I dunno.  But we're together and have been for awhile.  We did 
that whole 'ship not safe' thing too before we found 'Dancer."  

 

After polishing off his food, he tossed the trash into a receptacle and 
gathered more horrid looks.  Perhaps disposing of trash in the specified 
containers was frowned upon?  "So, tell me, why are you walking around out here 
all by yourself?  I know that were on Starfleet's door and at the heart of the 
Federation, but still..."  

 

"Why not?" she asked.  "I can take care of myself.  I'm not a little girl."  
There was that defensive tone beginning to bristle again.  

 

Shane backed off, not really wanting to venture down that road.  "I'm sorry, 
just making an observation.  You're as bad as Trey, you know that?"  He said 
with a smile, leaning against a building.  

 

An almost comical expression covered her face, but it was obviously she was 
irritated, "What's that s'posed to mean?" 

 

"I'm mature, I can handle myself, I can do anything," Shane said in a mockery 
of a child's voice.  "I want to hear you say that when you're surrounded by 
thugs with phasers and you with nothing but your dessert there."  

 

"I've gotten this far, haven't I?" 

 

"Everyone's luck runs out sometime."  

 

"Like to see you almost single handedly take down a Tal Shiar ship," she 
mumbled petulantly, then turned to make her way back on her own.  

 

Shane chuckled at the irony, but stopped to choose his words carefully.  He 
pondered for a moment, "Who do you think we were runnin' from?  It was a 
D'Deridex-class warbird and we were in a standard Federation shuttle.  I think 
that I deserve props for that much.  I'm not a slouch pilot."  

 

Bella stopped and turned around, almost haunted.  "I killed them all," she said 
softly.  

 

"Want another treat?"  Shane said snidely.  

 

"Fuck you."  

 

"Well, fuck you too."  Shane said, not budging, "I still was making an 
observation that usually everyone travels in pairs.  It's better for all 
parties.  To be honest, I don't care if you could kill the entire Romulan race, 
you'd still be safer with someone with you.  So, get off your warrior goddess 
kick, and realize I meant nothing by it."  

 

"I didn't want to do it, so fuck off!"  He had it all wrong.  It wasn't 
something she was proud of.  That familiar sting was in her eyes and she turned 
swiftly, long hair swinging behind her as she walked away.  God, but she hated 
people.  Computers.  That was all she needed.  And right now more than 
anything, she wanted her console to tinker with.  

 

"Seven years," Shane muttered to himself.  "She matured so much in those seven 
years." 


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